ACACIA DECURRENS TREE ADOPTION, COMMERCIALIZATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND FOOD SECURITY IN AWI ZONE, AMHARA REGIONAL STATE, NORTHWEST ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the intensity of adoption of AD tree, level of commercialization and its impacts on rural household income and food security in Awi Zone using cross-sectional data obtained from 385 respondants from three purposely chosen districts in Awi zone. Data were gathered through household survey, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and econometric models like Two-limit Tobit model, Ordered Logit models, and Generalized Propensity Score (GPS). The result of the study shows that, on average, the intensity of adoption of AD was 0.43 implying thatthe tree covers 43% of the total cropland. Sex (being male), education, access to seedling, experience in growing the tree and extension contact ,age, cropland size, livestock holding size, soil fertility status,rustdisease (romycladium acacia) emergenceand road distance signficanly determine the intensity of AD adoption. Even though, majority (74.29%) of AD producers commercialized, only few respondents (7.53%) fall into high level of commercialization category. Sex, AD farming experience, extension access, AD land allocation, unit price, access to seedling, AD yield, and mobile ownership, AD woodlot distance were influence on the level of commercialization.Considerable size of the sample households (about 36.4%)are living in low food security status. Education, AD farming experience, livestock holding size, market information access, off/non-farm income, AD income, dependency ratio of a household have a significance influence on household’s food security status. AD commercialization has a moderate impact on food security and income. Based on the findings, the results suggest that creating an enabling environment through land tenure security, creating access to seedling, disease management, improving infrastructure, strengthening a market linkages to sustain smallholder farmers’ AD tree commercialization that enable economically impoverished households to improve their income and food security.